Concerned about a 5MB camera instead of an 8MB?

ice456789

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Great info guys. I agree that 5mp is very sufficient. My OG still takes exceptional pictures to be coming from a phone. Think of it like this; with Samsung making the Nexus their flagship phone for ICS, why would they use a sub-par camera? Samsung is known for good camera hardware. They were confident enough to use a 5mp camera and let the phone speak for itself. I have no worries.
I'm not saying the 5mp sensor is great. All else equal, I'd choose 8mp. But all else is not equal. I'm assuming they have an upgraded sensor because a cheap one would not be able to achieve zero shutter lag, but the sample pictures I've seen don't look amazing, they look good.

Maybe you just had a Bionic with a bad camera. I've heard of that happening with a few people. They ended up returning them, getting a new Bionic and the camera was much better. The only shots that are grainy are the higher iso shots taken when it's dark.
I have a friend who also bought the Bionic, and our cameras are exactly the same. There was no problem with taking the images (aside from the focus issue which will hopefully be fixed in the next update), but the quality of the images on both phones was not good when compared to my D1. If you're happy with it, then don't let me convince you otherwise! I'm not trying to do that.
 

jcardona1

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This thread is proof how clever marketing can brainwash people into thinking more megapixels equals better image quality. I can't believe folks still don't get it.

Motorola could come out with a 25mp camera that rivals the most expensive dslrs in terms of file size, it would still be an utter piece of crap. I don't know if it's the hardware or software, but one thing's for sure, Motorola cell phones cameras are GARBAGE.

The Nexus could come with a 3mp camera, I'd still choose it over anything Motorola makes. The zero shutter lag is a thing of beauty. That's a crucial feature to have on a cell phone camera during everyday use, because it's not easy to keep a phone steady for a pic. You practically need a tripod setup for a Motorola phone because of their super slow shutters :)

Sent from my DROID using Tapatalk
 
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ralgrl73

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This thread is proof how clever marketing can brainwash people into thinking more megapixels equals better image quality. I can't believe folks still don't get it.

Motorola could come out with a 25mp camera that rivals the most expensive dslrs in terms of file size, it would still be an utter piece of crap. I don't know if it's the hardware or software, but one thing's for sure, Motorola cell phones cameras are GARBAGE.

The Nexus could come with a 3mp camera, I'd still choose it over anything Motorola makes. The zero shutter lag is a thing of beauty. That's a crucial feature to have on a cell phone camera during everyday use, because it's not easy to keep a phone steady for a pic. You practically need a tripod setup for a Motorola phone because of their super slow shutters :)

Sent from my DROID using Tapatalk

I respectfully disagree about Motorola phone cameras, at least for the Droid X. I was in Prague last week and took this pic, which I think is great quality for a cell phone. It was taken with my Droid X. (of course I took most of my pics with my real digital camera, but I took a few pics with my Droid X)


But, I hear what you're saying. Thanks! :)
 

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patriot95

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Someone should write an article to have published here on the front page about camera technology and the myths behind "more MP = better camera".

I have seen threads and comments like this all over these forums (and others).
 
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ralgrl73

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Thank you to everyone who replied on this thread. This is a lot of very helpful information and makes me feel a lot better about the Nexus' 5MB camera.

Thanks!
 

sweeeeet

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8 > 5

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tgyberg

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For sure go fire up that Nexus launch vid and fast forward to the camera part. My jaw was on the ground! The camera is over the top awesome. Funny, I still have one of the first DSLR's to hit the markent and it's only 3.2mp. I have very expensive glass on it and I still get asked what camera I use when I show people my pictures! MP's are not the be all end all.
 

haproot

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This is funny because I posted the nexus promo vid on my facebook and the first comment from a friend of mine was "OH it has the same crappy camera as the Nexus 1.. sigh" I was flabbergasted.. I am happy they are sticking with a 5mp and simply improving on the technology. I hate when companies get all this great hardware, then bog it down with a fancy ui, or use the highest spec but cheap piece of hardware in their devices, ie the camera sensor.

I'm a DSLR user and I have seen old lower MP nikons pump out way nicer pictures than some of the newer higher MP camera's. It really comes down to how nice of a sensor is in there.
 

suzukimethod

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lens quality (and software on a digital camera) is far more important than MP size in terms of outcomes (image quality, etc)

that said, MP size does have one important effect on outcome. print size at 300 DPI (where "photo quality" starts to degrade)

Design215 megapixels comparison and maximum print size charts

an 8MP camera can print ~8x11 (inches) at 300DPI
while
a 5MP camera can print ~6x9 (inches) at 300DPI

however, if the lens/software combo does a poor job of taking sharp photos, accurately representing colors, etc...doesnt matter what size you want to print, the photos will not be great.
 
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